Question

A project has 6 activities (labelled A-F), with the following terms:

Activity A and B can start at the same time, however Activity C can only start once Activity A ends

Activity D can only start once Activity B and Activity C ends

Activity E and Activity F can only start once Activity D ends

The following table shows Durations for each activity

Activity	Duration (weeks)
A	5
B	4
C	2
D	7
E	3
F	2

a. Draw out a network diagram and sequence the activities

b. Add in the durations of each activity. What is the sequence of activities that make up the Critical Path?

c. What is the duration of the Critical Path (i.e. how many weeks)?

d. Describe in your own words why it is important for a project to have a defined critical path

Answer 1

Ans d:

Critical path allows teams to identify the most important tasks in a project. Once you’ve identified these critical tasks and ownership expectations, you get rid of competing priorities or lack of direction. Everyone on the team is aware of the tasks that need to take place and the project manager can better allocate resources.  The critical path method can also be used to compare planned progress with actual progress. Throughout a project, the Project Manager can identify tasks that have already been completed, the predicted remaining duration for tasks in progress, and any planned changes to future task durations.